I don’t know why I am awake at this hour (0430 hours) again. The same thing happened on Monday. God and I both know what I managed to accomplish on that day and how long I lasted. I’m thankful for all those who prayed for me. Am I going to manage today? I don’t know.

But today, here, now, I have two choices. I know I always do. I can choose to complain about not getting enough sleep, about everything that’s wrong with this picture of (definitely unintended) consciousness at 4 a.m. and not being able to go back to sleep. Alternatively, I can choose to be thankful for this rare opportunity to spend deep, rich quiet-time with Him. I can choose to not worry about what is to come because I can trust that He provides all I need to be sustained, including food, shelter, and in this case, strength. I can choose to take comfort in His great love for me and take time to meditate on His Word—something that I don’t do often enough. The more I think about reading His Word, the more I am overjoyed. Who would not choose this privilege of drawing close to God over complaining? All we need to do is remember and believe that God is near.

Tears of joy are flowing from my eyes now. I open my Bible, wanting to read a verse about meditating on God’s Word day and night. I read Psalm 119:97 in my favourite Bible translation, the New International Version (1984). I rediscover the literary context in which this verse was found, and am astounded by its accuracy in describing my heart’s longing.

In the same (yes, very long, but) incredibly beautiful psalm*, one finds the following verses:

I could just continue listing them all out, but I’d better stop since I’m already quite long-winded and I shall save the rest for another time.

Thank You, LORD, for this heart of thanksgiving which You have used my parents to instill in me! Thank you for this attitude of gratitude which they have influenced me with. For all You’ve done for me, for all You’ve given me, and for the honor of being Your channel of blessings through what I do and say, I thank you, Lord. Who can count, recall, and not give You the credit? Who can keep silent and not cry out in praise and worship of Your Name? Who can believe in You and not be transformed by the renewing of their mind (Romans 12:2), and be changed into the better person You desire of them? Lord, help us to be ever willing to let You work in and through us.

May the redeemed of the Lord say amen!

* Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem. Its 176 verses are divided into twenty-two stanzas, one stanza for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet; within each stanza, each of the eight verses begins (in Hebrew) with that letter.

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https://ymi.today/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/In-the-dark-of-the-night.jpg6131024Contributorhttps://ymi.today/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/ymi-logo-black-3.pngContributor2014-11-11 10:00:152014-11-10 16:42:31In the Dark of the Night

Wow so many verses and I can’t instantly read them when I mouseover… We should have gone with the repeated Psalm 119:xyz look since it would have worked that way.
Then again, I am VERY lazy when it comes to things like this.

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